DeltaQuad, together with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands and VN Strategies, is co-organizing the European Defence Innovation Forum (EDIF) on 25 September 2025 at the World Forum in The Hague.
The EDIF will bring together senior Dutch and Ukrainian leadership, investors, major European and Ukrainian defense companies, research institutions, and more than 50 Ukrainian frontline innovators and manufacturers. The collaboration aims to accelerate co-production, certification, funded pilots, operational integration and industrial cooperation.
As a co-organizer, DeltaQuad is contributing to a platform designed to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and industrial resilience by integrating Ukraine’s battlefield-proven technologies into the European defense industry. EDIF highlights how Ukraine’s speed of innovation can act as a force multiplier for Europe.
Program Structure & Collaboration
The program is structured around four practical tracks, each designed to turn innovation into tangible outcomes. There will be B2B matchmaking, bringing Ukrainian innovators, European primes/SMEs and investors together through pre-booked 1:1 meetings. Live demonstrations will also showcase battlefield-proven systems.
There will be practical clinics to convert frontline innovation into European production, including a Certification & Export Clinic offering guidance on CE, EASA and NATO codification pathways and gaining market access. The Financing Track will provide instruments for pilots, guarantees and co-production scale-up.
Participants will be able to explore practical pathways for joint manufacturing, localization of production and new partnership models, with Dutch innovation agencies and public institutions sharing expertise in funding, infrastructure, and long-term support for dual-use and defense-sector start-ups.
The EDIF program will feature Dutch and Ukrainian companies that have deployed solutions in frontline conditions, sharing perspectives on scaling and tackling barriers such as certification and access to contracts.
Mr. Hans Huigen, Director, Netherlands Industries for Defence and Security (NIDV), stated, “The NIDV and the Netherlands industry see how operational insights and experience drive industrial breakthroughs in Ukraine. Ukraine offers a unique wealth of real-time data and battlefield-proven designs – from autonomous systems to counter-drone measures – that Europe can integrate today.
“By combining Ukraine’s experience with Dutch and European engineering and manufacturing strength, we can accelerate the delivery of next-gen systems that match the speed of threats. EDIF is exactly the kind of platform where this alignment can happen.”
Event speakers include H.E. Mr. Ruben Brekelmans, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands; Mr. Jan Christiaan Dicke, Commissioner for Military Production at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands; and Mr. Hans Huigen, Director of the Netherlands Industries for Defence and Security (NIDV).
Brekelmans commented, “In a time of growing geopolitical tension, partnering is not a choice – it’s a necessity. Ukraine brings an unmatched innovation cycle, where solutions move from concept to deployment in weeks. When combined with Dutch and Europe’s industrial capacity, this speed and ingenuity can outpace our adversaries not just in quality and ideas, but also in cost, scale, and production tempo. EDIF brings together governments, industry leaders and innovators to build a stronger, smarter and more resilient Europe.”
H.E. Mr. Andriy Kostin, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, added,“Ukraine’s frontline experience is way more than a story of resilience, as it is a strategic security capability for Europe. We have developed solutions under fire that address threats faster than they emerge, and we are ready to bring this doctrine of rapid innovation into joint European projects. With the Netherlands taking a leadership role, we can co-develop systems that are superior in performance, faster and more cost-effective to produce. Together, we are building a defence ecosystem capable of anticipating and defeating tomorrow’s challenges.”
The EDIF is supported by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO); the Netherlands Industries for Defence and Security (NIDV), Dutch Regional Development Agencies (ROM-Nederland), the Municipality of The Hague and other public and private stakeholders.
